SKA-Low Telescope Captures First Image, Surpassing Expectations
The groundbreaking radio telescope in Western Australia revealed 85 galaxies with supermassive black holes, marking a critical milestone in its development.
- The SKA-Low telescope, part of the international Square Kilometre Array Observatory, captured its first image using just 1,024 antennas, less than 1% of its planned capacity.
- The image revealed 85 of the brightest galaxies in the observed region, all containing supermassive black holes, demonstrating the telescope's exceptional sensitivity.
- Located in the Murchison region of Western Australia, SKA-Low will become the world's largest low-frequency radio telescope by 2030 with over 130,000 antennas spanning 74 kilometers.
- Scientists aim to use the telescope to study the early universe, explore galaxy evolution, test Einstein's theory of general relativity, and search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
- The successful image confirms the telescope's systems are functioning as intended, with construction ongoing to add 16,000 antennas over the next 18 months.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation 
9News 
Cosmos 